More euphemisms: "pervasive language"

[Laurence Horn]

On Mar 17, 2012, at 9:25 AM, Jonathan Lighter wrote:

> Clearly in these cases, which I've been noticing for several years,
> "language" means "offensive language" precisely as Neal says.
>
> I've even heard news stories where somebody was accused of using, without
> further elaboration in the *immediate* context, "some language."
>
>
> JL

I wonder whether one of the spurs to this narrowed usage might be the frequent use of the big label L for "language" on television shows and broadcast movies (not only at the start but when they come back from commercial interruptions) as one of the options along with S(ex), N(udity), D(rug use), V(iolence), and whatever else I'm forgetting.

LH

>
> On Fri, Mar 16, 2012 at 11:13 PM, Neal Whitman <nwhitman at ameritech.net>wrote:
>
>> ---------------------- Information from the mail header
>> -----------------------
>> Sender:       American Dialect Society <ADS-L at LISTSERV.UGA.EDU>
>> Poster:       Neal Whitman <nwhitman at AMERITECH.NET>
>> Subject:      Re: More euphemisms:  "pervasive language"
>>
>> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------
>>
>> Yes, agreed, by our old definition of "language". But if "language" now
>> means "offensive language" in this context, then "mild language" means
>> "mild
>> offensive language" as opposed to "strong offensive language", and
>> "pervasive language" means "pervasive offensive language".
>>
>> Neal
>>
>>>
>>> I do get it.  Although if "language" means "offensive or obscene
>>> language", it can't be "mild".
>>>
>>> But -- "Mild" I can understand -- it's a quality.  "Obscene" or
>>> "blasphemous" I can understand.  But "pervasive" I can't place on a
>>> scale.  "Pervasive offensive language" would make sense for an R, as
>>> opposed to "occasional offensive language" meriting a PG, or whatever.
>>>
>>> Joel
>>
>> ------------------------------------------------------------
>> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org
>>
>
>
>
> --
> "If the truth is half as bad as I think it is, you can't handle the truth."
>
> ------------------------------------------------------------
> The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org

------------------------------------------------------------
The American Dialect Society - http://www.americandialect.org